Human rights in Mozambique

Independence War In September 1964, FRELIMO sought an attack against the Portuguese to gain independence. Attempts at peaceful negotiation by FRELIMO were abandoned and, on September 25, Eduardo Mondlane, who was the founding president of FRELIMO, began to launch guerrilla attacks on targets in northern Mozambique from his base in Tanzania. The war continued sporadically for 10 years, and finally in 1975, the Portuguese fled Mozambique, FRELIMO took control of the country, and Mozambique became independent from Portugal. During the Civil War, crimes against humanity and human rights were severe. Part of RENAMO's war strategy was to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity in order to weaken the opposing party. == Arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of life ==

Mozambique has had numerous reports that included descriptions of the government and Mozambican police committing unlawful and arbitrary killings. Unlawful killings by police Mozambique security forces such as the Mozambique Republic Police (PRM), have been indicated in various reports as key culprits of unlawful and arbitrary killings. They have been reported throughout the country for killing unarmed citizens for negligible breaches of the law, and sometimes for no violation at all. In 2010, a riot occurred in Mozambique in response to a 30% rise in the price of bread in the country. Demonstrators burnt tires, blocking roads, and stole from shops in the capital of Mozambique, Maputo. According to the police officials, real bullets were used to shoot the rioters once they run out of rubber bullets. Hospital and police sources identified the death toll at six people, including two children. An unknown citizen stated that the police were heavily armed and arbitrarily firing live bullets at anyone they thought were involved, causing the death of innocent bystanders. Inhumane prison conditions Prison conditions in Mozambique are inhumane and life-threatening due to multiple unsanitary conditions. The physical conditions of Mozambique prisons include overcrowding, limited medical care and hygiene, and inadequate sanitary conditions. Many detainees in detention centres are being held while their case is still being investigated. They were arrested on the suspicion of theft, and some are held in these pre-trial facilities for almost a year, while police investigate the case, providing the assumption that the arrests were arbitrary and on suspicious grounds. The Mozambican law also states that an arrest is arbitrary if it does not comply with the procedures for arrest set out in the Criminal Procedure Code. Amnesty International has documented arrests that do not comply with these procedures due to failing to inform those being arrested and detaining their rights. Violating a detainee's rights can include not allowing them to see a lawyer, forcing detainees to sign documents, or beating or ill-treating detainees to force them to confess. == Freedom ==

Speech and media In the 2018 Human Rights Measurement Initiative, Mozambique's protection of freedom of expression received a result of 5.3 out of 10. There were restrictions on free speech, forced by the Mozambican police, although there were no government official constraints. The restraint of free speech was primarily in regard to any criticism of the government. During Armando Guebuza's reign as president, RENAMO became accusatory of the government, influencing violence between the ruling and opposition parties. This limited journalists’ ability to write freely, and also closely impacted the people's ability to fairly choose their government. The public wouldn't know the accurate truth about the government, and therefore couldn't make an informed decision at elections. Ericino de Salema was a well-known journalist and human rights lawyer. Anonymous armed man abducted and beat him due to his reporting. Assembly Again, the laws did not explicitly abolish the freedom of peaceful assembly, however, the right of peaceful assembly wasn't respected by the government. If a group of people were to peacefully assemble and protest, they were required to provide the local authorities with a written notification of the protest at least four business days prior to the event. The government had the authority to disapprove the request for protest, indistinctly impeding the right of peaceful assembly. == Societal discrimination and abuse ==

Women Rape and domestic violence is illegal and can result in imprisonment. However, in 2014, a draft law was considered by Mozambique's National Assembly that would allow rapists to marry their victims in order to avoid detention. Children Sexual and physical abuse towards children remains a key issue, particularly for orphans and vulnerable children. The law prohibiting the sexual exploitation of children was partially enforced, and therefore, unsuccessful in eliminating the problem. In multiple cities and towns, child prostitution is customary. Persons with disabilities Discrimination against persons with disabilities is illegal by law, however these laws have failed to be enforced effectively. Access to buildings is overlooked, and discrimination in basic services like health care was common. Education and employment opportunities were very unequal, and there were no government initiatives implemented to improve this inequality or strive to improve persons with disabilities accessibility to information. ==References==